A Lonely Figure's Eyes See All
by Imperial13
Summary: Sakura loves Naruto as a brother, but when questions of why he is treated so poorly by the village comes up, Sakura realizes that maybe Naruto really did need someone to love, she decides to become matchmaker for Naruto, but who to choose? SASUNARU
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I'm not going to say I don't want it. Only to say that I don't have it. Full ownership belongs to…the owner. Fair isn't it?**

**Love to Love you.**

**Xoxox**

**AAAAA**

A lone figure sat on the top head of the fourth's head, watching as Konoha changed from morning to afternoon. It was winter in the city, with crisp blue skies and a fresh blanket of snow covering the ninja infested town. And even in the silence that the snow seemed to create, there was noise everywhere. The birds chirping, the village coming to life from sleep and going on about their busy days in getting ready for the holidays and the festivities.

Sakura lifted her head off of her knees and stared straight ahead at the other mountain range opposite the Hokage mount. The tall purple peaks rose up above the clouds that began to settle, sitting ominously; daring anyone to question their power. Every part of Leaf had been designed for protection, for security. Yet right now, Sakura felt raw and ripped apart with confusion and dismay, for what she had seen didn't show any signs of safety. Of comfort. Of love.

It was supposed to be a simple mission, deliver the note to Naruto and leave. Literally no more complicated, but somehow it had become a nightmare. She hadn't wanted to see all those things. The true. It hurt her, the truth, and the knowledge that it had been right in front of her but she had been to self-absorbed to see it. Tears filled her willow green eyes as the information she had just learned replayed in her head over and over, like a broken record.

**Flashback**

_Sakura looked up from the piece of paper that Tsunade-sama had given her. In front of her was an incredibly unkempt, unclean, and poorly built apartment complex. The ugly tan color of the five story building was faded and she could clearly see cracks in the walls. She walked towards the building, hesitantly. Not wanting to be seen by anyone in this area, she quickly hurried to the door that said 'landlord' and entered. The small room held a counter and a chair in the corner. The old woman behind the counter glanced up at her and sighed._

"_What do you want?" The woman's voice was raspy._

_Sakura almost gasped at her flat out rudeness, but instead composed herself and asked, "Where is apartment 537?"_

"_Fifth floor, take the stairs. Their right to the left." The old woman said, picking her nails before turning away. Sakura felt the strongest urge to smack the woman. But instead she turned away and walked out of the door. _

_"This is where Naruto lives..?" She whispered to herself as she climbed the rickety stair to the fifth floor where Naruto's rooms where. It was strange but…now that she had thought about it, she had always thought that Naruto lived in a normal house like she and Sasuke did. And this led her to thinking that, what did they really know about Naruto in the first place? Didn't he have a family? A home? Everyone did._

_But Sakura thought as she looked down onto the cracked steps of the building…every time they had been on missions or just hanging with each other, Naruto never talked about himself…it was always about the future, about plans…never about the past or his personal life. But then…neither did she or Sasuke but, everyone knew them. _

_Sasuke was an Uchiha and everyone knew about him and his past and his family, and Sakura was very well known because she was the Hokage's assistant every since Shizune left with Jeriya after Sasuke had come back and Orochimaru was killed along with Itachi. It had been a well known fact among the elites of the ninja society that it had been Naruto who had risked everything to bring the lone, sane Uchiha heir back into the warmth of Konaha's citizens._

_However it had seemed that by the time the epic story had leaked into the public, it had been twisted so that Sasuke had become the fearless warrior, and indeed Naruto had been dropped completely. Naruto however had laughed it off and said he didn't mind, being a celebrity wasn't exactly his deal anyways, but it had struck everyone close to him as a hypocritical statement. They all knew how badly he wanted to be Hokage and to be accepted in spite of the Kyuubi._

_So it was that Naruto was a no-one. And Sasuke and Sakura were someones, even though Naruto should have at least been known through association. _

_But it was always Naruto that had to constantly introduced or re-introduced, because he was…a no one. And all Sakura really knew about Naruto was he liked ramen and he wanted to be the next Hokage. While it did bother her a little she knew so little she couldn't keep her mind off where she was, one wrong step and she'd been on the ground bleeding._

_When she reached the door she knocked uncertainly, she might have read the paper wrong. After all the door seemed thin and old, the number 537 painted on by cheap paint that peeled and collected dirt…what high ranking ninja would live her, Sakura knew how much she got paid, and considering how often Naruto went on mission he should have a lot more money…she was about to turn away but sure enough she heard Naruto's chipper "Coming." _

_When he opened the door and stared at her, she felt out of place and somewhat scared. She waved at him nervously and took in his appearance. His hair was damp and his cheeks where red; he was wearing a tee-shirt with a little kanji sign for 'Love' on it as well as a pair of sweats and some miss-matched socks. When she looked back up at his face he was smiling, his eyes bright. The blue orbs had always made her smile, so young and innocent, not at all jaded like Sasuke. Naruto had kept himself. Something to envy. Even she felt jaded, and she had escaped most of the torture of the Akatsuki._

_"Sakura, hey! What're…what're you doing here?" Naruto's blue eyes were wide with surprise and what Sakura thought was guilt…but soon they were filled with nothing but confidence. And for the strangest reason Sakura felt like it was okay that Naruto lived her. _

"_Naruto, I have a note from the Hokage, can I come in?"_

_His eyes widened and his smile blossomed when she mentioned Tsunade. Sakura knew how much Naruto loved her."Of course! Come in! Please." He ushered her in. Instantly Sakura gasped, this was not an apartment…this was a prison cell. The room was no bigger than the Hokage's office, if that. A small mattress lay in the corner of the room and next to it was a battered little alarm clock, the bed had no sheets or covering or pillows._

_At the foot of the bed there were up turned crates Sakura assumed were meant to be chairs and a table. On the opposite wall from the crates was a small mini-fridge and two card board boxes Sakura saw stacks of neat clothing in each box. _I so take that thought back…it's NOT okay that he lives here. Hell Sasuke got a nicer place when he was on trial. _Sakura screamed in her head, feeling her rage boil._

_Naruto led her to the crates and pulled one out for her, and scratched the back of his head nervously. "Sorry Sakura, a lady like you is used to something a little comfier but this is all I have, can I get you a drink, I have water, and well…water." Strangely Sakura heard no sarcasm or insincerity in the blonde's voice and managed to find her own, "water would be great." _

_"Okay great." Sakura noticed that Naruto was shivering as he bent down to get glasses from the mini-fridge/cabinet. _

_"Naruto, are you cold?" Her voice hesitated. It didn't seem right, yes it was the middle of December but still, Konoha never got too cold, even with cold…but Naruto had been looking a little thin these past months, and his tan was there…but not the shine of health it had once had. Suddenly Sakura felt like kicking herself…something was wrong and she had been too distracted to notice the man she had always considered a brother was suffering. _

_He straightened and laughed, "well not really but I had to take a shower and the water heaters been broken for a while now but the manager said it'll be fixed soon." _

_Sakura was getting suspicious now, why was Naruto living like this? Where were his parents, and why weren't they helping him? She stared at the table/ crate and slowly traced the lines on her palms while trying to think of a conversation starter. "Hey Naruto I was won-" _

_CRASH. Sakura looked up to see a brick not two feet away from her surrounded by shattered glass. She looked up a Naruto and saw his face slowly drain of all color. She slowly looked back to the brick and saw a little piece of paper attached to the brick. She reached for it and unfolded the little slip and gasped as she read it…_

_YOU MONSTER! IT'S YOUR FALT SASUKE DOESN'T LOVE MY DAUGHTER!_

_Sakura looked at the paper noticing the curve of the letters looked just like her father's handwriting; then stood crumpling the paper and shoving it in her pocket and turned to the door. Naruto chose that moment to speak, "Sakura I am so, so sorry you shouldn't have seen that I…" _

_"Naruto, I was told to give you this, and that's it, I have to go." She dropped the envelope on the table and left. She knew that what she had just seen needed to be explained by Lady Tsunade. With that she ran, slamming the door behind her. _

_She didn't stop running until she slammed Tsunade's door behind her and slammed her hands onto Tsunade's desk. She looked into the Hokage's questioning eyes and then to the sake bottle on her desk and knocked it off so hard it shattered on impacted sending thousands of little pieces flying._

_A nerve in the Hokage's temple twitched, "that was my last bottle of sake, Sakura," the cup in her hand broke with all the strain she was putting on it. "You had better have a _damn _good reason for doing tha…" she trailed of as Sakura held out the piece of paper that still sat, crumpled in her hand. Tsunade took it carefully and un-crumpled it and slowly read it over and over and over and over and soon Sakura got tired and exploded._

_"What the fuck is that! Huh? Who, no _what_, would throw a brick in to Naruto's apartment? If you can call that thing an apartment, Tsunade it can't even have table and chairs without feeling overcrowded and for another thing…" She kept on going and going until Tsunade had a head ache._

_"Sakura." She said it in a quiet voice for fear of making her assistant even angrier knowing she hated to be interrupted just like herself. "I am, not legally allowed to say anything to you. But the one person who can is Tamari." Sakura looked directly into the Hokage's eyes, opened her mouth and raised a finger, and blinked. Nothing else just blinked. For a full minute just blinked._

_"Tamari? You mean the Kazekage's older sister? How can she be the only one to know? What about the Kazekage himself surely he—" _

_"Sakura I don't know the reason all I know is that Tamari is the only one who knows, and as a matter a fact a D mission was just filed to go to Suna to deliver a very important shipment of scrolls," Tsunade stood and walked over to the filing cabinet that sat in the far corner of her office and pulled opened the top drawer and pulled out a small index card with all the mission info on it. "Here Sakura take it and assemble a team go to Suna and finish this mission and speak to Tamari about…it."_

_With that Tsunade opened the door and gave her a small encouraging smile and a slight push that, with Tsunade's inhuman strength propelled her all the way through the mission room and out into the hallway. Sakura looked back at the door that had magically shut behind her and sighed turning back around she walked out back into the cool bright light of winter._

**End of Flashback**

She knew that whatever this was…this thing with Naruto it had to be fixed. And she would be the one to do it. Granted, she might not be the strongest, or fastest, nor the must cunning ninja. But she was Sakura GODDAMMIT! And nothing got in her way when she wanted it. And she wanted Naruto to be happy, and to be healthy again.

She unfolded herself from her position and stood, wiping her tears away. The bitter cold air did nothing to make her feel better but…she was a ninja, endurance was part of her. And so she would accept this mission and go visit Temari, for whatever reason it may be and she would find out what was wrong with Naruto and she would fix it. Because she did love her friend and that's all that mattered in this instant.

She pulled out the scroll for the mission out and read over the instructions. It was an easy mission; deliver a small shipment of jewelry to Suna for the upcoming festivals that would be held there for Christmas. Sakura quickly drew out a timeline in her head. If she got a team together by tomorrow and left by Saturday….they would reach Suna by Monday, and then be home by Friday…and that left three days until Christmas. _Perfect_.

She looked down from the head to the village and lost herself in the little details of her home…it seemed so strange to think that she had never really seen most of it…sure she had run the rooftops plenty of times but she had always stayed on the north and west sides, where the ninja and the upper-class lived. She had been warned away from the civilian side by her parents, claiming that civilians could be more dangerous than ninja…and the poor even more so. But now, knowing Naruto lived in the pits of Leaf, she had to wonder…what had he ever done to deserve it?

Sakura began to walk down the trail that led to the bass of Hokage Mountain, and smiled along the way. Even with all this stuff with Naruto going on there was something about Christmas that just made her happy to be alive. _It's the jolly old spirit of things, now what am I going to get Sasuke….? _

It was difficult, having the Uchiha back in town. He was the same moody, grumpy boy, only in man form, but there was a lack of drive in him. He didn't possess the same….fire he had before he came back. Now that Itachi was gone, Sasuke had nothing left to do with his life. But it had only been a few months…Sakura was sure he'd find something to do soon. _He'll fall in love or maybe become a desk worker….no, no not a desk worker…._

Once she hit the base of the mountain she began to walk through the streets of town, her mind drifting between the mission tomorrow and Naruto and Christmas. She had gotten gifts for almost everyone…expect for Tsunade and Sasuke and Naruto…they were always the hardest to shop for…well Sasuke and Naruto were…she could always get Tsunade a bottle of sake and she'd be happy all of Christmas and new years. But Sasuke…he needed something simple, but not ornamental, something useful, but nothing he would think he needed…a hard task for a man that had everything.

…_And what about Naruto? The last few years he was gone and the years before I didn't care enough to actually get to know him…_She felt another pang of guilt but pushed it aside. The past was behind her, all she could do was learn from her mistakes and grow from them.

She was able to walk throughout the streets with minimal effort able to weave in and out of the crowds of people without concentrating, the small perks of being a ninja was the awareness of her surroundings becoming almost second nature to her. Yet…there was something wrong here, almost as if she was missing something, something seemed…_ugh this is a pain in my tight ass!_

Sakura entered a store purely by instinct and began to scan the shelves and squeeze past the other customers, searching for gifts. But nothing in this store seemed to hold the magic she was looking for so she exited the store, intent now on getting lunch.

However when she bumped straight into someone and stumbled back, her thoughts of food and shopping were yanked from her mind into the real world. Sakura felt a vein throb…honestly who was dumb enough to walk _straight into someone?_

"Hey! Watch it buddy…" She trailed off as her eyes met the black orbs of the man she bumped into. "Sasuke."

"Sakura." He said, giving her his small "for-my-friends-only" smile. She quickly took in the sight of the man. Dressed from head to toe in black, Sasuke look like the heartbreaker he was. His toned muscles showed themselves through the cloths and under the pale alabaster skin. The messed black hair was perfectly done and his eyes were perfect.

She brushed the invisible dust off her dress and quickly linked arms with the taller man before he could escape. "So…..tell me, Mr. reclusive, how have you been?" She asked him, pulling his arm until he gave in and began to walk with her. They strolled together down the streets walking past groups of people eyeing the colorful displays.

He sighed a bit and smiled down at her again. "I've been good. Hardly reclusive. I've been on missions Sakura, you know? Those things most of us ninjas do now a days. We can't all sit at a desk and deliver sake to the Hokage." He paused for a minute, his eyes darting ahead and then back. He came to a halt all of a sudden, Sakura stopped with him, arms still linked, and she quickly looked at his face and followed his gaze down the street to find the patch of blonde that was headed towards them.

"Oh look Sasuke, its Naruto!" She said slyly shooting him a smirk. She knew full well that Sasuke had seen the blonde. But now that he knew she saw Naruto as well, she had stopped Sasuke from escaping without any questions. Sakura knew there was still a lot of animosity and distrust between the two, but it was time to move on. It was never clear as to what happened between the two but still….enough was enough.

Besides…once in a while, when she forced the two to socialize with each other, she'd see this…strange energy between the two, a burning kind of…passion actually. And by god if she died trying, she would figure out what the hell it was and how to use it to make her best friends happy. Even if sacrificing her life was the cost.

Her eyes glazed over to a second, even though she felt the cold of winter, the warmth of Sasuke next to her, and the sight of Naruto's head in front of her…_she heard herself scream, felt herself fling herself in front of the two boys, felt the energy hit her square in the chest. Then, she felt nothing. _

She snapped her eyes shut and wriggled the thoughts from her minds…_just my imagination, that's its. _"Sakura? Are you alright?" Sasuke's low voice was concerned. She looked up at him and shone a brilliant smile at him, and winked, "you bet your ass I am!"

Fist pump.

"You shouldn't spend so much time with the Dobe, it's starting to effect you negatively." He smirked.

"You're just jealous that Naruto like ME, and thinking you're a bastard." She smirked back and poked his side.

"Hn."

"Ugh…men. Now, no escaping, I want to talk with both you and Naruto about something. Naruto! Hey Naruto! Come here!" Sakura cried to the blonde who immediately caught sight of them, and promptly burst out into a huge grin. As the pair walked forward to meet their blond teammate a man walked past Naruto and shoved his own shoulder into Naruto's causing the blond to fall backwards and land of his behind.

The blonde let out a small cry as he fell and wasn't able to stop himself from slipping back and smacking his head on the snow covered pavement. Sakura gasped and rushed over to him and bent down, "hey buddy! Watch where you're going huh?" She yelled at the man as he lumbered away. "Naruto…are you okay?" She helped him to his feet where the blond placed his hand on the back of his head and felt the bump.

"Haha….I'm fine Sakura, its fine, just a bit of a bump!" The blonde smiled and laughed. "Hey Sasuke!" The blonde said to the blackette, smiling and holding his hand out.

But Sasuke didn't take the hand Naruto offered instead he stepped closer to the blonde and raised his hands to bend the smaller man's head down. "Idiot," he said softly as he massaged the back of the blonde's head, "you need to be more careful, you could have gotten hurt."

Naruto blushed and let his hand drop, he stood there, and his head bent looking at Sasuke's shoes, while the taller man's finger gently massaged the spot while whispering soft rebuffs at the blonde for being stupid. Naruto mumbled apologies and kept his hands at his side, yet they twitched with the urge not to wrap themselves around Sasuke.

Sasuke for his part felt his heart speed up and felt the blond's own scent brush up into his nose. The delicate scent of snow and innocence and ramen made Sasuke softly groan. Likewise Naruto bit his lip to stop a moan as Sasuke's long fingers massaged his head gently, bringing all sorts of pleasure to Naurto's brain.

They stood close, hardly a few inches between the two of them. The rest of the world was gone, nothing else mattered, no one else mattered as long Sasuke got to keep touching the soft blonde hairs and have the smaller man close like this, where he could protect him.

_This is so HOT! Dear god, I'm so telling Ino about this tonight when we go for drinks!...Oh crap, we have that mission…speaking of…_Sakura coughed lightly, "Boys….it's been a minute and a half, Sasuke I'm sure Naruto's fine—"

She was cut off as Sasuke stepped back and threw a quick glare down at Naruto, before saying "Dobe, be more careful, Sakura and I won't always be here to take care of you," and quickly vanished in a puff of smoke. Sakura was left there, standing befuddled wondering what had just occurred.

_Sasuke was….enjoying that, he _wanted _to be touching Naruto….and Naruto, like the sensible boy that he is wanted the Uchiha to keep touching him….but why did Sasuke disappear? Why did they… _

Only the sound of a sniffle brought her back to the present, she turned to see Naruto, head still bent, sniffling gently, "Naruto? Naruto, come on…let's go shopping okay?" the blonde didn't look up but nodded and took the hand Sakura offered to him. "That's it, we don't need Sasuke, grumpy old man that he is….let's go okay?"

And so that's what they did. Sakura didn't mention Sasuke or what had happened earlier today. She would wait to get to Suna before she began to question these things. In the mean time she would focus on Christmas, and Naruto.

And maybe things would get easier. Simpler. She just wanted this sinking feeling in her gut to leave her alone.

**AAAAA**

Sakura and Naruto parted ways at the center garden Park of Konoha, a beautiful new park commissioned by Tsunade to represent the beauty that rose from the ashes of the war. And it did represent. Marvelous structures with beautiful flowers and trees and modern benches and pathways, all interconnected to work together in harmony. While it was small, only a few city blocks big, it was a jewel that all the other Cities were hoping to get one of their own for.

"I had fun Sakura, thanks for letting me come with you!" Naruto smiled at her and hugged her before letting go and smiling once more.

"I had fun too Naruto…but, I feel bad, you didn't get anything. I could've loaned you money if you needed it?" Sakura knew exactly why Naruto didn't have any money to shop. Though she knew he wouldn't take a loan. He was too proud.

"It's okay! I got all my shopping done a long time ago! Well…I guess I'll see you later?" The hope in his eyes was too much.

"Well….I'm leaving on a mission to Suna tomorrow–"

"Can I come? Please Sakura? I miss seeing Gaara, and I really wanna have some of their sake, you know cause it's different–"

"Naruto!"

"…Sorry…"

"Of course you can come, be at the eastern gates at eight tomorrow morning, okay? It's a D mission so it won't be dangerous at all okay?"

"Okay Sakura! See you tomorrow." He gave her another quick hug before running off in the direction of his home.

She smiled and chuckled at his disappearing form before turning around and walking towards her own home, shopping bags in hand. _Let's see…I have to drop of my bags, go tell Ino I can't have drinks tonight…though I should just call her, and then….Sasuke. God save me from brooding Uchihas. _

She smiled at the thought and continued to walk down the streets to her own home. The sun had set and the dark clouds overhead rolled in continuous waves of black. The air was cold but there was no breeze, and the streets were still somewhat alive, though no longer with children and parents, but teenagers and young people, off for a night of celebration and partying.

Sakura stopped under one of the bright streetlamps to readjust her hold on one of the bags when something caught her eye, turning her head sharply she spotted a couple walking towards a parked car, but more importantly she saw the woman's faded strawberry hair.

"Mother! Father!" She cried, standing up and crossing the street quickly to meet her parents at the car. Her parents turned to see the voice and smiled when they saw their daughter. They were a handsome couple, her mother was tall and thin, and her pink hair faded and piled up on her head in an elegant knot, while her father, tall and masculine even at his age stared down at her with smiling green eyes.

"Sakura! What a surprise, shouldn't you be out with Ino?" her mother asked after hugging her daughter.

"No, I have a mission tomorrow; I'll be going to Suna for a little bit, just delivering some things for Tsunade."

"Ahh, well good luck princess." Her father hugged her and kissed her forehead.

"Thank you father, though I was hoping I could ask for a favor?"

Her parents smiled at each other then at her, "what is it angel?" Her mother asked.

"Can you guys take these bags home for me? I have to run to the Uchiha compound quickly." She smiled and put on her pleading eyes when her mother laughed at took the bags from her.

"Of course my love, here, darling give me the keys, I'll take these" She hoisted the bags, and took the keys, "and I'll be in the car. Bye angel, we'll see you soon." Her mother walked away to the car.

"So…the Uchiha compound? Impressive, daughter. Finally getting ready to settle down?" Her father said once her mother was in the car.

She laughed, "Hardly father, Sasuke and I are just friends, just like Naruto." Her father's eyes sharpened at the mention of the blond.

"Sakura dear, isn't it time you stopped spending so much time with that boy? He's not nearly good enough for you. Better spend time with the Uchiha, now there's a good boy. I'd take him even after all this Sound mess, over the o_ther one _any day."

Sakura felt her anger bubble, but managed to remember this was her father and he only had heard her best interest at heart. "Father, Naruto is a very dear and close friend of mine, nothing more! Besides he _is _good enough to be my friend. I love him; he's like a brother to me."

Her father's mouth gaped open, but she ignored it and hugged him quickly before kissing his cheek. "I'll see you soon father, I love you. Goodnight."

She quickly stepped back and launched herself up onto the rooftop before feeling the chakra flow through her feet and pushed off again, flying over the rooftops, heading towards the Compound.

As she ran she tried to push the thoughts that screamed at her from her mind. They took up all the space in her head, distracting her, soon she stopped after almost tripping over a ledge and falling, managing instead to catch herself on the balcony of the opposing building and sitting there, on the railing, looking out.

She had somehow managed to get as far as the Murakai Compound, but she had to stop and get these thoughts sorted, or she'd be on the ground dead. The Murakai family had long since left Konoha, having become member of the Water Cities instead, however their compound, second largest only to the Uchiha, stood still.

The massive array of buildings stood taller than any other buildings in Konoha, giant stone monuments to the power of Konoha's wealth. Though they were off to the side of the city, along with all the other compounds, one could easily see them from anywhere in the city. The compound was comprised of thirteen tall building and several dozen smaller ones, all done in a square pattern slowing growing taller and taller the farther in they went. The typical style used, but more decorative and ornamental then most buildings.

Since the compound was too big for any of the current families to occupy, Tsunade had decided that it's tall, almost impassible gates would remain locked. However many ninja used the roofs and grounds now as training, since the gardens had grown wild and had reclaimed most of the land. Giant flowers and vines grew all along the buildings and pools of water fell from the rain gutters, sloshing around, forming pools and rivers along.

There was no snow here, it remained warmed within these walls, supposed because the Hokages of the past had been secret buried here, and their chakra, even in death kept this place unaffected by the biting harshness of the reality that lay only a wall away.

It was a wonderland at night, uninterrupted, allowing Sakura to think and feel these most recent and disturbing thoughts. And of did those thoughts swirl through her mind at lightning speed. Never had she been one for visions but that image early had seemed so…clear, almost as if it was going to happen and happen soon. But an even more pressing memory surfaced, pushing her vision to the far corners of her brain.

"Did…my father throw that brick at Naruto? Why do people seem to hate him so much?" She questioned out loud, her voice softly carrying through the air. She pulled her knee up and hugged it, feeling the warmth heat her, and letting her forehead drop down to rest on her knee.

_Is this supposed to be what Temari knows? _Sakura let out a long breath, feeling it tickle the nerves on her leg before dropping her leg down and staring out over the compound and over the lights of the city at night. She didn't like this feeling, quasi-guilt and quasi-confusion. It didn't suit her.

"The sooner we get to Suna, the sooner it goes away." She placed her feet on the edge of the balcony and pushed off, grasping the ledge on the other building and swinging herself up onto the rooftop.

Soon she began the almost graceful dance of jumping from rooftop to rooftop, making her way through the abandoned wonderland and soon was dashing across the far wall of the compound that bordered the Uchiha Compound. By far the most massive, and the most severe, the Uchiha compound had forever given her the creeps. Almost as if it's once living inhabitants slept behind the sliding doors. She hopped down from the wall and approached the front entry way, sliding the door gently open with her chakra, alerting Sasuke to her presence.

Timidly stepping into the main courtyard she surveyed the space. While the Murakai Compound was wild and decadent and ethereal in its beauty, the Uchiha Compound was cold and precise and, while beautiful; very, very unloving.

The front courtyard was divided into giant blocks surrounded by tiny streams of water that met strategically in pools and ponds, the giant koi lazily drifted through the water, and ancient cherry blossom trees grew in these ponds, forming a faux forest, with smaller bonsai trees and moss grown precisely to feel that way.

Sakura walked slowly through, taking the wooden bridges across the ponds, towards the giant wooden door that stood a dozen or so feet away from her. She stopped half on the closest bridge, turning and looking out over the water towards the next building, and in turn, the next garden.

"Sakura." She didn't flinch. _YES! Finally I can actually predict when he's going to do that! Finally! HA! Suck on that Sasuke!_

"Sasuke."

"Care to explain the visit so late at night?" Sasuke's tone was bored but she could detect the undertone of slight interest. So she felt her confidence grow, Sasuke wouldn't say no to her, he rarely ever could now a days.

"I have a mission that starts tomorrow, a simple D ranked one, going to Suna, and I'd be grateful if you would consider coming along?" She smiled up at him.

"Sakura…a D rank mission? Isn't that a little…beneath your status at this point?" Sasuke lifted one black brow in question and Sakura felt a small tremor run through her, leave it to Sasuke to try and figure out her motives for why she wanted to go all the way to Suna for nothing.

"You know sometimes it's nice to do something simple, besides…don't you want to see Naruto?" She didn't want to bring out the big guns, she really didn't but _come on, _Sasuke was going to figure out if she didn't distract. And Naruto was nothing if not a distraction.

"You invited the dobe? Why?" His brow crinkled and he looked away, down into the dark waters of the pond beneath their feet.

"He's my friend Sasuke, and yours too…unless something has changed since I last was last around?" She felt the urge to tease bubble over, "...then again you got pretty damn chummy with him today, is there a _love _affair I need to know about? Hmmm Sasuke?" She laughed at little at the end.

"Certainly not. I would never lower myself like that." Sasuke's tone was haughty but Sakura knew it wasn't really hurtful. There was something in the Uchiha's eyes that made her wonder…

"Fine."

She looked back up to see him looking over into the trees. Eyes clouded and face emotionless. _Damn typical Uchiha, never give a thing away…why can't he be like Naruto and wear his heart on his damn sleeve?_

"Fine what?" She questioned.

"I will go on this mission with you and the dobe. When and where?"

She smiled and threw her arms around him, letting chakra flow through her arms to give Sasuke a bone crushing hug. "YAY! I'll pick you up tomorrow morning at about six thirty! And don't worry about packing; we'll be staying in hotels the whole way!"

"Fine…now can you let me go?" Sasuke said, voice strained slightly.

She chuckled a little and released the blackette. "See you tomorrow Sasuke!" She knew not to press her luck but she had to have fun, leaning up and smacking a big wet kiss on his cheek, she teleported before he could get a single word out.

**AAA**

**I hope we enjoy. **


	2. Chapter 2

**The loveliness continue.**

**AAA**

Sasuke watched the small puff of smoke float up towards the abyss of the night sky before turning back towards his home and sighing. _What a pain it is to keep her around._ He walked down the bridge to the giant front door to his compound. Opening it he slipped into his home quietly. Hating how dead silent it was. How lonely. _Maybe I should just marry her. Can't stand her though. _

_Ah, ah, ah Sasuke you know you admire and respect her, why bother to hide the truth from me? _The voice sounded too much like Itachi for him to be comfortable with, but it held none of his brother's malice, only his teasing sarcasm. It bothered Sasuke to no end. _Besides darling brother have you already forgotten how much you…admire the blonde? _

Sasuke shook his head to erase the voice and the images that they brought up. _"Ahh Sasuke, give it to me harder! Yes! Yes! Oh so good Sasuke, I love you, love you so much!"_

"God damnit! Get out of my head!" His voice broke out and bounced off the empty walls of the large entry hall. He quickly swept through the halls, ignoring everything that surrounded him, concentrating only on the war that raged in his mind. This had been going on for too long, this attraction to Naruto. It was…horrid. And he felt the most sickening feelings whenever the blonde shinobi was around.

_Yes…that increased heartbeat, the sweating of the palms, the sudden thoughts of protection and jealousy and desire that mingle in your veins? Darling brother, we call that love in the normal world. Ahh but wait; you're an Uchiha…and we cannot feel love. _The ending held a soft regret that Sasuke felt rush through him.

Love.

Nothing could be more weakening, more depressing. And scary as fucking hell. Sasuke shook his head as he pushed the door open to his room. Closing it behind him, he let a breath of relief go; it would seem that his conscious had decided to let him have a moment of peace. _Decidedly not, I would just like to point out that I'll be leaving as soon as you do exactly as I told you to do, before you oh so delicately murdered me._

Sasuke remember, as he had watched Itachi die, the older Uchiha had quickly preformed a series of hand signs and incantations, and as the last breathe left his body he whispered, "_move on, and be with the one who completes the half empty shell of a man you have become." _

_I am complete. _But even he knew it was a lie. And _God_, as he stripped himself of his clothing and moved towards his bathroom, _but I just want to go back to normal, be normal, have what they have. Be one of them. _The water sprayed down onto him, warming his cold skin and he sighed with delight. He always like this, showering in complete darkness, just letting his eyes close and the feeling of water taking over him.

_Naruto could do that for you. _

_No he can't. I would make him miserable. It's best like it is. I cannot start the clan with him. I cannot keep him at home and protect him. I cannot eat his cooking. _A shudder ran up his spin at the memory of badly cooked food on missions years and years ago.

_Sasuke you and I both know that you don't want a submissive. You want passion, emotion, energy. The light to brighten this horrid place. Why you don't leave I'll never understand. _

_No you don't, and you never will. I grow tired of this Itachi, leave me in peace hmm? Let me sleep tonight. Even in death you manage to dominate every waking moment of my life. _He stepped out of the shower, still in darkness and reached blindly for his towel.

_I do these things because I love you baby brother. You will never understand how much I regret. You will never know the other half of the story. You will never learn the truth behind all we did. And for once Sasuke, an Uchiha has a chance at true happiness that isn't built on lies and power, but on genuine love and trust and friendship. And if using that wretched curse I placed on you was, and is, the only way how, then you will suffer through this. _The voice hissed its way through his head.

"Very well, play your silly mind games. I'm going to bed." And he did, after slipping on a pair of boxers and a tight tee. "Unless you intend to keep me awake at night before a mission?"

_Never Otouto, instead I'm just going to give you pleasant dreams…filled with nothing but a naked, writhing, flexible, loving, horny, and kinky blonde ninja. No need to thank me._

"Fuck. You."

_Say it to the blonde darling, never to me. _

**The plot twists.**

**xoxo**

**AAAAAA**

Naruto wasn't very good when it came to packing for missions. He stared down at his still empty bag, it was 6 in the morning and he had to meet Sakura at the gates in two hours and he still had no idea what to bring. _Well, it's Suna so it won't be too cold…but I still want a jacket, but should I bring weapons? I mean more than I normally do? But it's a D-rank mission so, but what if we get attacked? _

_You know for someone supposedly worry free, you worry an awful lot about small insignificant details_. Naruto heard the voice tickle his thoughts and he smiled a little in the dim light of his one roomed apartment, though the words were meant to be cruel, the rumbling affection in Kyuubi's tone was easy to spot. The chuckle that he let loose formed small cloud in his freezing apartment, and his body let a tremble loose, reminding him he needed to keeping moving to keep warm.

He didn't have it easy, moving through his small apartment, trying to think of what to bring, _but then I wouldn't be half as strong if I was just handed everything? But then Sakura is strong, as is Hinata, and Neji, and Shino and Choji and Ino…_he sighed as he defeated his own argument.

But there was no point in arguing, because even from day one Naruto knew he was never going to have what he wanted. Because he was a monster, and he wasn't any good at that either. _Hell, look at Gaara, his demon was horrific and he still managed to make something of himself in this world. _Naruto smiled at the thought of the redhead, the only one in his life that didn't care about anything. Who loved him for _him._

"I don't even know why were going to Suna, all Sakura said was that it was a D-ranked mission but does that mean like…protection or delivery D-rank?_ What is the difference? Is there a difference? Because I'm all ears to hear it. _

"Well the difference is…protection is…protecting someone. So you have to pack more for combat where as delivery is more for…I don't know okay? We covered it in the Academy a long time ago." Naruto huffed and went the few feet to his meager excuse for a kitchen. Kyuubi's laugh rumbled through his ears, _and we both know how well you paid attention there, oh wait, your eyes were always focused on someone else. _

"You know for a Mythical Demon of untold power, you remind me a lot of Granny-Tsunade after she's hit the sake a little too hard." It was Naruto's turn to laugh at the _humph _that came from the demon. He sighed though as another shiver racked his small frame. His stomach giving a growl and a painful twist, Naruto was reminded that he hadn't eaten since that afternoon coffee with Sakura.

Going over to his cabinet he pulled out a small packet of ramen and poured some water in before popping it in to the microwave. _Kit, that stuff tastes like sand and salt, how can you stand it? _

"After a while you stop tasting it and learn to love the warm of it and the fact that the noodles aren't that bad…I prefer it when it's made by hand, but this will do for now." As he waited for the microwave to finish he went back to his still empty bag and decided just to pack the basic clothing and a few Kunai. He and Sakura were Jonin now so it wasn't like they couldn't handle a few bandits.

With the disbandment of Sound and Sasuke's return to Leaf, everything had fallen into a rather peaceful stage, one that would hopefully last long past Naruto's death. _You? Die? Ha that's funny Kit, you know I will never let us die. You will be here to see the world end. I am a Demon and I refuse to die. _

"I hate you sometimes." The quite voice slipped past Naruto's lips and echoed slightly off the walls of his rooms. And it was true. Naruto had wanted death for so long, ever since his dreams of becoming Hokage had been crushed. He knew that Kakashi was to be the next Hokage, and after him well, it wouldn't matter, Naruto intended to leave long before Kakashi even started to show signs of illness or age.

_I know Kit, but that's how life will go. Accept it, and move on, one day you will forget about them, I did it, you can as well. _He felt the heat of Kyuubi's chakra flow through him and wrap around him. The energy soothed the aches and forced the cold in his bones back out of his skin. He felt younger, stronger, better.

And so dead tired on the inside.

But that wouldn't go away. No matter how hard he tried to make it. The loneliness on the inside would always be there. _How about letting someone live forever with me? Sakura deserve it, and so does Sasuke. We both know you could do it. _

_I could very easily. But I won't. Too complicated, and there is no reason to make them suffer. Face it brat, you will always be alone, and you will always suffer. I'm sorry, but that is your burden to bear. _Naruto felt a tear slip down his cheek, followed by several others, his stomach no longer hungry, the ramen sitting, waiting in the microwave.

He packed in silence. Thankful for the lack of conversation with Kyuubi. He couldn't handle it anymore, and suicide was out of the question, he healed before anything happened. Hell he had survived the Akatsuki, and almost being ripped apart by Sasuke. He would live through anything.

Eternal youth wasn't a gift. It was a curse.

And as he zipped up his small bag and wiped the tears away from his face he heard the knocking on his door. Calling out a soft "coming!" in the most chipper manor he could manage, he threw the untouched ramen away and made his way to the door, smile bright and eyes big for Sakura.

"Good morning!" He said but stopped short when he saw not pink, but black hair instead. And instead of looking directly into her face, he had to look up to meet the black gaze of one very annoyed looking Uchiha.

"Sasuke…? Is everything alright?" he questioned and mumbled a little when the Uchiha quickly forced his way through into the small space.

"You know dobe; it actually offends me that you choose to live in such squalor. I mean, I know you make more than this on your commissions, so don't you think it's a bit…unprofessional to live on the civilian side of town?" Sasuke's voice was cold and brittle, small puffs making it seem as if they actually froze the air around them.

Naruto cringed at the harshness of the words, and felt the bubble of anger rise but chose instead to ignore it; this was not the time or place to do this. "Yeah well, I choose to spend money on other things, not all of us can have heaps of money waiting for us when we come home bastard." Naruto smirked at Sasuke, who just looked around bored.

"Let's go then moron, Sakura will be waiting for us."

"Wait, you're coming too?" Sakura had said nothing about this.  
"Of course, we are a team aren't we?" The sarcasm dripped so heavily from the statement Naruto actually glanced down to see if anything had landed on his floor.

Blue eyes narrowed onto black, _Uchihas…all the same aren't they? I applaud you for not killing him, Kit, though I think you're an idiot for having a crush on him. _Naruto almost choked on laughter and passed it off as a cough at Sasuke's questioning glances.

"Sasuke you hate Leaf. You're only here because everyone else was either dead or betrayed you. Don't pretend to actually care about us." Naruto felt his back hit the wall before he could blink and found a kunai at his throat.

"You know nothing dobe. Nothing. And you never will, now get your shit together and let's leave. I have no desire to remain here." Sasuke withdrew his hold and walked out the door.

Naruto grabbed the bag off his bed and his house key off the small hook on his wall, switching off the lights he closed the door and locked it, dropping the key into the small side pocket of his bag, quickly walking over to where Sasuke stood, his own black bag slung over his broad shoulder.

_One day at a time. _

**AAA**

Sakura knew that by sending Sasuke to get Naruto they would be there early, which was good, it was about time to get this show on the road, she was curious as hell to get to Suna and bombard Tamari with questions about everything. The pinkette held her bag in both hands in front of her, leaning against the edge of the gate, humming softly to herself. The first rays of sunlight were peeking over the trees and walls of Konoha setting fire to the sky.

_It's not like anything could be too wrong with Naruto right? I mean…I know he committed all those pranks so long ago but…I don't see why he wouldn't get paid as much as the rest of us, unless maybe he's just saving it all up? But for what? And why would anyone call him a monster? That boy has as much meanness as a butterfly and it's not like he's ugly…gay possibly. If not certainly. But still…I don't like where this is going. _

She leaned her head against the wall and sighed deeply. Closing her eyes she pulled up a map in her mind of the fastest route to Suna. Going straight through the Land of Rivers and over the Gorge of Suna, would be fastest, but it was also high in hostile ninja. But since she had the scrolls that they had to deliver safely locked in her bag, it wouldn't be too difficult. And knowing Sasuke he would have packed light. Naruto should have too.

Besides they were Jounin, this wasn't going to be difficult. Sakura just hoped that she was right. Opening her eyes she glanced slightly to the left, only to catch a glimpse of blonde. Smiling at the sight she focused the chakra to her ear, tuning in on the boy's conversation.

"I'm so excited to go and see Gaara, I miss that raccoon so much!" Naruto giggled with happiness.

"I just hope we're taking a fast route, I hate traveling to Suna, and I need to be back here for the holidays." Sakura's nose scrunched up in confusion, _Sasuke? The holidays? Need to be back? _

"Really?" Naruto sounded as confused as she was. "But…why? Do you; have to give someone a gift?" The hope in his voice was so faint Sakura could barely hear it. But she knew it was there, _Naruto doesn't…like Sasuke does he? No he couldn't. That'd be borderline incest. It'd be like crushing on…me. Well…no, no what am I saying? _

"Surprisingly dobe, I do actually. I've decided this year I'm going to try and settle down with someone and work on getting the Uchiha clan back to its glory." The arrogance made Sakura choke on the air she had breathed in.

"Oh…cool I guess, who are you thinking about…starting with?"

"Sakura would be nice, or maybe one of the Chounin." Sakura's eyes snapped open and she pushed herself of the wall, letting the chakra slip from her ears back to her core. Crossing her arms she tapped her sandal against the ground she glared at the two boys who were now within hearing distance.

"Oh…Sasuke, she totally heard you man." Naruto started cackling until Sakura turned her glare on him. He prompted silenced himself.

"If you two are done discussing what poor female Sasuke has chosen to help regenerate his clan, we have a mission to do." She laced her voice with ice. _Honestly…I can't believe Sasuke would do this…has he no thoughts of love or anything? Well I guess I know what we're going to be talking about on this trip._

"Sakura I–" She held up a hand to stop Sasuke.

"We'll talk later, as for right now, let's go." She turned around and walked towards the exit, Naruto running up beside her and chatting with her about the mission specifics, the scrolls, how long they were going to have.

"Only a day? But Sakura I really miss seeing Gaara and I was kinda hoping that I could at least…you know, see him for a bit."

"I know Naruto but if we hurry we could get there in less time so you know, more time with Gaara."

"Yes! Let's go!" Naruto's smile lit up the entire walking trail. "Hey Sasuke, I bet I could be you to the border of the Land of Rivers."

"Not on your life dobe. I'm not going to race you. Even if I would win."

"Oh you so would not, how can I make it interesting."

"Kiss him." Sakura smirked as both the blonde and the blackette stopped dead in their tracks. Turning around to face them she feigned innocence. "What? It's just a kiss, I think it's a great thing to bet, simple and yet; you'd both rather race then kiss."

"What are you talking about Sakura?" Sasuke asked, his tone filled with false boredom, she could tell he was listening intently.

"If you beat Naruto or I to the border of Land of Rivers, I'll buy you dinner, if Naruto wins we buy him as much ramen as he wants, if I win, you two kiss." Naruto's face had started to glow at the mention of ramen but it sunk as soon as Sakura finished her piece.

"You're just messing around right Sakura? You wouldn't actually make me kiss _Sasuke_ would you?" Naruto asked, emphasizing Sasuke's name with disgust.

"And what wrong with me dobe? At least I brush my teeth with something other than ramen, and I actually _know _how to kiss someone." The Uchiha smirk took over Sasuke's face and Naruto blushed a deep red.

"Look you smug self satisfying son of a–"

"Naruto!"

"What? You know its true Sakura. But fine, I'm in. and I'll beat you two and then you owe me enough ramen to feed an entire army!"

Sakura smiled at the blonde with affection, he was just so darn adorable. Turning to Sasuke she asked, "so, mister high and mighty, you in?" She teased him before lightly punching his arm, "come on tough guy, let's race."

He sighed, "Fine. But if I win you, I get to stay in a single room at the hotel, no sharing with the dobe."

"Deal." She smiled and held out her hands to both of them. They shook her hands and then each others.

"Now for the rules, if you get injured or attacked send up a flare. So no tricking people with fake flares, Naruto."

"What? I would never."

"Liar." Sasuke smirked at the blonde's outrage.

"Men. Alright well." Sakura took a deep breath into her nose, and readied herself. She saw both boys do the same, though Naruto focused more on getting his bag ready than actually getting himself ready and Sasuke's eyes had begun to glow red with the power of his Sharingan.

"Go." And they did, Sasuke flew upwards towards one of the trees and bouced away on the branches, while Naruto flew forward down the pathway, feet moving and hand signs flying together.

Sakura for her part stood still, waiting and listening. Letting the chakra flow through her she waited for the wind, hearing the soft breezes become stronger before she knew she had the advantage. Pushing the energy to her feet she ran at a tree and began to run up it, approaching the leaf covered top she jumped up over the tree feeling the wind blow, quickly she took sight of a much older and much larger tree. Taking aim she flung a kunai at the tree, where it landed deep into the trunk of the tree far above.

Pulling the thin wire that had been attached she felt herself swing down and fly across the forest as if on a swing, and when she came up she yanked the kunai back and aimed again before she lost the momentum.

She continued to travel this way, sweeping great areas in a few seconds. But she knew that it still wasn't enough. But as she travelled she heard Naruto beneath her, and she saw a lash of Sasuke besides her. They were both faster than her, and stronger, but they didn't have her pinpoint accuracy with chakra.

She would find a way to beat them. _I have to see them kiss, I have to make sure they feel something. I'm never wrong, and I won't start now. _

**AAAA**

Naruto flew across the path in front of him hearing both Sasuke and Sakura above him, he kept his head low and his mind focused on the ground ahead of him. He _had _to win, he just had to; if he didn't then he would have to either cough up money he didn't have, or kiss Sasuke. And while the money thing was depressing in its own right, it was the idea of kissing Sasuke that did…weird things to his insides.

Sasuke was everybody's wet dream come true. Tall, dark, handsome, serious and mysterious, he was a dark god of beauty. Naruto knew that, no matter how much he pretended otherwise, Sasuke had always been far superior to him in the looks department. He was short to Sasuke's tall, thin and lean to Sasuke's muscled build, blonde and tan with a baby face whereas Sasuke had a sharply striking face with perfect porcelain skin.

Tsunade had once said that Naruto's eyes were the most beautiful she had ever seen, but since she had been drunk, and since all the girl at the academy had said so, Naruto knew that they were just ordinary blue, pretty, but nothing compared to the true black orbs of Sasuke. _Sakura probably just wants to teach Sasuke a lesson, making him see what he could end up with. I wish she had told me it was a joke. _

He stumbled at the thought of his friends laughing at him, slowing his pace for a moment before picking speed up again. They wouldn't do that, would they? Sakura was being so nice to him since they came back, and he didn't think she was just being polite, was she? _Kit this self doubt is interrupting my midmorning nap. _The demon's voice rumbled through his chest, pushing the cold feelings and thoughts out of sight and mind. _I'm sorry Kyuubi. _And he was, Kyuubi had become dear to him, even if they still had their moments of disagreement. He didn't try to get on the demon's bad side, it felt like fighting with a parent, wrong on so many levels.

_Whatever. _And with that he felt the demon leave the forefront of his mind, retreating to his cage where he went back to his quiet slumber. And Naruto was left with his mind, wandering back to the thoughts of the kiss that on some level he knew was going to happen. Sakura always got her way. It was a female thing. While Sasuke was fast and he was just as fast, Sakura had always been able to outsmart even the Uchiha heir on many an occasion.

And where did that leave the blonde ninja? He had more heart, and more passion but he had nothing to put it into anymore. And so he was left with little to nothing to do or say to anyone. But even if he had nothing he once had been so sure of achieving, he was happy. Just a different kind of happy. He pictured himself at twelve as he ran across the forest floor, jumping over a small creek that signaled their approach to the border of River. The younger him had been so naïve, so hopeful. So stupid.

Now he knew better, it had been only seven years since his graduation of the academy. But at nineteen, he was so _damn _tired. And the recent laws that the Council of Elders had set into place didn't much help him. Tsunade had been the sweetest she could, but there was only so much she as Hokage could do. No one could take the Elders all on their own…

…"_Naruto, can I buy you so ramen?" Tsunade had said to him one afternoon, how she found him wandering through the streets he would never know, but who was he to turn down a free meal. He was still running on the high of having Sasuke back. Having peace for once, and just for a short time, knowing that he was a hero! _

"_Sure Baa-chan but I warn you, I'm hungry tonight!" He smiled and hugged the older woman hard, surprised when she said nothing back to him, merely smiling instead. So they made their way to Naruto's favorite ramen shop, where he ordered pork ramen and she had sake. _

"_Naruto I have some bad news." Normally he would have kept eating, news was news; but her tone made him stop. She hadn't spoken like that in a long time. And it meant he should pay attention. _

_So he placed his chop sticks down and stared into the bowl in front of him. "Okay Baa-chan, what's wrong?"_

"_I've had a meeting with the council. They have a few…terms that we have to discuss." _

_Naruto nodded slowly, keeping a smile on his face even though his insides dropped and ice cold fear threatened to claw its way up his throat._

"_They have decided that in order to help replenish the money of Konoha and to repair the damage, we will be taking eighty percent of all your future commission money. For all missions and assignment, including any holiday bonuses, they believe it will greatly help, due to the speed at which you complete missions." _

"_But…I can barely pay for my house, I can always move to an apartment, but what about my things?"_

"_The council has decided to…seize your assets and use them to pay for the damages." Her voice cracked halfway through the sentence and she quickly downed her glass of sake before continuing. _

"_They can't just take it, can they? Why me Tsunade?"_

"_They can. And they will. Naruto," she turned to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. "They've declared you are barred from becoming an ANBU or Hokage. They feel that even though you recovered Sasuke and helped defeat Sound, you are…too liable to cause trouble, and that Civilians will not look too kindly to Kyuubi being...well you understand don't you? I'm sorry brat, but I can't do anything. My hands are tied."_

_Naruto didn't let his smile drop, he didn't let the tears fall, and he didn't even quiver. He just smiled brighter and laughed, "Alright old lady, I think I can get with that." He laughed and turned back to his ramen. _

_He felt the hand slide of his shoulder and heard her give a bark of dark laughter. "God damn brat but you're a better man than anyone I'll ever know. I'll fight them if you want, and I'm sure the Ninja would be happy to help me."_

"_Nah, come on granny, we both know it won't help, I'm not stupid anymore. I'm a big boy. But I gotta know, who's gunna take over when you finally drink yourself to death?" He slurped up the ramen. _

"_Kakashi." He felt his heartbeat quicken a little, but not of anger, of happiness. If anyone was going to take it from his dreams, he was glad it was the silver haired ninja. He was a good man, and anyone who was as devoted to Iruka-sensai as Kakashi was…well he was okay in Naruto book. _

_He smirked over at the blonde woman, "good choice old lady. Now come on, pay so I can go apartment hunting."_

_And that had been that…_

…And now he had nothing left. No money, all he saved he used to pay rent and for food, and he had spent almost everything on presents for his friends for Christmas and New Years. _But this mission should bring in a nice little bit, and maybe I can borrow money from Gaara? He's loaded with all those family jewels. _

He shook his head and closed his eyes for a moment, he couldn't do that. Gaara was his close friend, and using him for money was wrong. Which is why he had to win this race. He needed to food. It had been so long since he had eaten any sort of real food. And he was getting so tired of eating ramen. No matter how delicious it was. _You could always feed off of my Chakra kit, you know I have more than enough to share. _The sudden intrusion into his mind caused him to lose his footing and made him tumble head first towards the ground. Luckily he caught himself on his hands and was able to stop himself from banging his head, though the air was knocked out of him.

And he sat there on the ground, breathing deeply and trying to keep the dizziness from his head going southwards. But it was too late, and he felt himself dry heaving at the ground. Though nothing came up. He gasped for air every time he could. Falling onto his side, his eyes battled to the darkness of hunger and exhaustion.

In the end he lost.

**AAA**

Sakura was worried. And it wasn't a feeling she liked very much. She had gotten to the boarding bridge of River mere seconds before Sasuke. Thanks to a cleverly thrown kunai, Sasuke had lost his footing for only a moment, but it had pushed Sakura into the lead by only a few seconds. Which was all she had needed.

To say she had rubbed it in his face was an understatement; he was still pouting, though according to him '_an Uchiha doesn't pout'_. And she had waited on a euphoric cloud for Naruto to reach them, knowing his reaction would be even better than Sasuke's. But minutes had pasted and no one had come. Soon an hour had gone by and it was fast approaching noon. Sakura was getting pissed, at this rate they wouldn't be able to make it to Suna on time and that was cutting into her questioning time with Temari.

"Where is he?" She said to the river that rushed beneath the bridge, as Sasuke had already gone ahead to the town a few more miles down to road to get their hotel rooms ready. She smirked a little as she thought of their brief conversation before he left…

"_Don't try to get out of the kiss Sasuke. I'm not going to forget it." _

"_Hn." _

"_You're going to like it. And we both know it." She teased._

"_Hardly. I'd rather kiss dirt than that blonde dumb ass." _

"_Thinking about his ass now? Wow that's a little fast Sasuke. Have you even bought him dinner?" She had burst out in laughter as the pale man had turned near tomato colored. _

"_Bitch."_

"_Love you too." _

She giggled at little at the thoughts of the two boys kissing. It was awkward looking in her mind, but she'd see it in real life soon enough. Her giggles were cut short by the sound of approaching footsteps. Swinging her head to look at the person approaching, she let out a loud scoff when she saw the shocking head of blonde.

"There you are! I've been here for over an hour! Sasuke went ahead to the town to–" She felt the words being cut from her throat as she saw Naruto up close. He was pale and had a slight tinge of green to his skin, a little dried blood crusted on the corner of his mouth and his clothing held a thin layer of dirt.

"Naruto..? What happened?" She rushed forward and put her hand on his shoulder. But when his head turned up, he was smiling a million watt smile.

"Hey Sakura! Sorry about that! A couple thugs found a nice young lady, and weren't being so nice so I had to step in and help!" The lie slipped through his teeth easily. She didn't need to know he hadn't eaten, or had any water, or money. Or dreams for that matter. It wasn't for her to worry about.

"Oh God Naruto are you sure your alright? You've got blood right here," she dabbed the spot with a disinfectant wipe from her bag. "Do you need me to heal you?"

"No, no. Let's just go yeah? It'll be all good when we go to dinner! Food is my healer." His steps increased in energy. She thought she heard a low rumble like a stomach growl, but it couldn't be anything, just the river rushing.

"Alright well…I won the bet you know. You have to kiss Sasuke." She smirked as they walked towards town, Laughing as Naruto launched into the first of his long list of reasons why the kiss shouldn't happen.

**A**

Sasuke was bored. Sitting in the small main room of the inn where he had gotten the three of them rooms, he sat staring at the ceiling. _Nothing to do in these small little towns. _He sighed and twiddled his thumbs, a habit he would never do in front of any of the people he knew, Uchihas never twiddled their thumbs. It showed lack of restraint.

_I can't believe I have to kiss the dobe. Ugh. Sakura is such a cheater. _But in the back of his mind, the part that sounded just like Itachi, told him that she had won fair and square. And even farther behind that, was a slight excitement at kissing the blonde ninja. No one would deny that Naruto had become a handsome young guy, more on the lines of a bit feminine but strong none the less. How would it feel to dominate the smaller boy?

Sasuke had discovered the joys of the same sex during his time and power at Sound. He was a man, he had needs. He had tried to be with a woman but he had thought they were too soft, too weak, and too…whiny. He had loved the roughness of a man, the tender way of being silent that said it all. And the fact that he could be as rough and say as many nasty things as he wanted. And that actually was appreciated. But when he had assembled Snake he had been careful to pick team members that he had zero attraction too. Lust clouded the mind's eye and judgment.

But what did it matter? It didn't. Naruto was not someone he wanted. And that was that. _But what the hell are we going to do tonight? There's nothing to do in this little village in the middle of the damn boondocks. _

"Hey did you hear about that new restaurant that opened on Willow Island in the middle of the river?" Sasuke's ear perked up at the words. It wasn't rude to eavesdrop if they were being loud enough to be heard easily. The two men behind him were standing against a wall near the bar and sipping on brandy.

"Nah, what is it?" The younger and bigger man asked.

"It's supposed to be this really fancy restaurant owned by a rich foreigner, says it's got the finest cuisine at cheap prices. And it's build like a palace. Took my wife there on opening night. Real nice place. You could spend all night there, eating and listening to the music they play live. Oh! And no kids allowed, it was so relaxing."

And suddenly Sasuke knew what they were going to be doing tonight.

**AAAA**

**Xoxo enjoy. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Continue. **

**A**

By the time Naruto and Sakura had reached the small town, met up with Sasuke and changed into different clothing, it was approaching dusk. Oddly enough Sakura seemed to have completely forgotten about the kiss, a fact that both Naruto and Sasuke had silently agreed to not bring up, for both of their sakes. Now they walked towards this supposed 'wondrous restaurant' Sasuke had heard about. And as soon as they turned the bend, they saw why.

The restaurant sat on an island maybe a hundred and fifty feet out from the shore, the river around it was shallow and calm, the bed spread out wide before closing at both ends, so it acted as more of a lake then a river, but it flowing gently still. The island was large but the truly amazing part wasn't the wooden footbridge towards it with lanterns hanging from posts every five feet or so. The stunning part was the actual restaurant. Built within the branches of a giant willow, the structure was like a giant tree house. It had many levels and many balconies that hung off the main frames and allowed the patrons to overlook the river. The drooping branches of the willow twisted around the building giving a measure of privacy and a good sound barrier, though a gentle glow emitted from between the vines.

Sakura clutched Naruto's arm and whispered, "It's so beautiful." Naruto nodded and Sasuke cracked a smile before offering his arm to Sakura, who took it laughing. Leaving Naruto to follow in their shadow.

They pasted couples and groups of people seated on benches and who were walking away from the restaurant, all of whom were dressed in finery far superior to Naruto's. He felt himself hunch his shoulders forward and drop his head after two women pointed at him haughtily. He couldn't afford nicer clothing anymore, it was hard enough to have this good set of pants and decent shirt.

When they were at the front door they were greeted by a man in a classic kimono, who looked down at them and gave a gracious smile. "Welcome to Madame Brandon's."

Sakura scrunched her nose, "Madame Brandon's?" The name was foreign and thick on her tongue.

The man smiled, seeing her confusion. "The owner is a foreigner from far, far away, a good women, even if her name is strange." He gave a small laugh. His eyes once again swept over both Sakura and Sasuke, admiring the young lady's kimono and the young man's Uchiha crest, these two were of great importance. His eyes came to rest upon the smaller blonde boy behind the two, and his gaze became colder. The blonde's clothing was clearly not up to standards. And he knew those whisker marks anywhere. They were said to be possessed by the child of the Fox demon that had terrified the Continent all those years ago.

The Host felt a chill run down his spine, and he knew his duty. "I'm so sorry, but unfortunately I only have tables for couple available. Normally we here pride ourselves on serving the very best to the very best of patrons." The double meaning was not lost on Naruto. It was frequent that this happened. He just had hoped maybe his curse wouldn't follow him this far away from home. _I terrified many people Kit, sorry little one, this man will not be letting us eat tonight. _Kyuubi's anger was clear to Naruto; he felt the heat of it rush though his veins. _Well there's no reason to make a big deal…we can go one night more without food, right Kyuubi? We're big boys. _Even though he said it he felt a stab of sorrow. He wished so much to be like Sasuke or Sakura.

"Well sir, there are three of us you see," Sakura gestured to Naruto and Sasuke. "Can we put two tables together?"

"I'm sorry but no miss, I cannot give up a table like that. We are very busy you see." Sasuke sighed and turned to Naruto opening his mouth and Naruto knew what he was going to say, but he just didn't want to accept that one of his friends would tell him to leave but Sakura beat him to it.

"Well then we'll just go somewhere else." Sakura said and Naruto's mouth dropped, _that was…unexpected. _But Naruto saw the flash of longing in her green eyes, and he knew he couldn't be selfish. So he put on his trademarked grin and scratched the back of his head.

"Aw come on Sakura, you and Sasuke go head and eat, you know you want to! I'm sure this town has plenty of other places to get some food, besides you know all this fancy food and wine would go unloved by me. Food is food to me!" He laughed and gave the host a pointed look, _look buddy if I'm leaving willingly then these two need to be treated right, got it? _

The man seemed to understand his gaze for the smile that he previously had dropped came back in full force. He pulled to menus out and he opened his mouth to speak but Sasuke cut him off.

"Dobe don't be an idiot. We will eat together, we're a team. We wouldn't leave you out, you're our…our friend." He gave a small smile to both the blonde and pinkette, the later reinforcing the statement with a "that's right!" But Naruto knew how to handle them.

"Please guys, go eat. We all know you want to wine and dine her Sasuke, you sly fox" He gave a comical wink for effect and turned away from them, walking off waving, "I'm not listening! Go eat; I'm going to get some ramen! See ya at the hotel you two!" He didn't look back but he knew that they had gone inside, with hesitation, but they had done it.

And after a moment or two of walking away he quickly peeked over his shoulder to make sure they had entered the restaurant. And they had. So know he could let the smile fall and hunch over again.

He walked down the pathway back to the village, all the while trying his best to keep his mind off of food, and failing miserably the entire time. He crept up the stairs to his hotel room that he was mostly likely sharing with Sasuke, and with that in mind he took the floor instead of the queen bed. Unpacking his small bag he pulled out the clothing he was planning on sleeping in before wandering into the bathroom and turning on the shower. Scrubbing himself clean he moaned at the wonderful feeling of being able to take a hot shower; a rare commodity he never was able to afford anymore.

Stepping out of the shower he dried himself off and brushed his teeth, before drinking a glass of water, then another, and another, and another, and another until he felt his stomach protest. He laughed a little; he could fool his stomach into thinking it was full, but his brain knew how hungry he was. Wandering back to the small blanket and pillow he had placed in the carpet he laid down and closed his eyes, trying to ignore the twisting cramps of his stomach. _Kyuubi I need to sleep please? _

_Certainly kit. But be prepared, you know this will hurt. _And it did, the demon pushed so much Chakra through his system it caused his brain enough pain so that he fainted from it. And while he would wake up even dizzier and hungrier before, at least he could sleep for tonight.

**AAAA**

Sakura was aware of how good the food was. How spectacular the view of the sunset was. And how mere years ago she would have died being alone with Sasuke in this romantic setting. But she couldn't seem to work past the knot that had formed in her stomach. And from the way that the silently brooding Uchiha sat, she gathered she was not alone in her guilty conscience. As Sasuke ordered their deserts and coffees she sighed heavily, _Naruto…I hope your having a good time. We're certainly not. _

"We shouldn't have let him push us around like that." Sasuke's words were firm and racked with guilt. She looked up from the table top into the face of her close friend, who was staring off into the distance.

"No we shouldn't have, but no one can say no to that smile." She smiled fondly at the thought of the bright blond smile and big blue eyes. It was sad but true; no one had really ever been able to resist giving the blonde what he wanted. Naruto never really asked for much so it never seemed like such a stretch to indulge him. And now seeing the way that he lived it made Sakura even more resolved to give her friend the most she could, and to make sure everyone else knew that they owed everything to the blonde.

Even Sasuke complied with that smile, albeit with resistance that all males gave when facing that smile. But Naruto's charms were not picky; they worked on male and female alike, a few males had even fallen under a lovesick sort of spell with that smile. But Neji, Sai, or Gaara would never admit to it.

"It doesn't matter. The dobe is probably sitting in the hotel room trying to figure out what lie to tell us tomorrow when we're telling him about dinner." The words made Sakura focus sharply onto Sasuke's face; green eyes meeting black ones.

"What do you mean?" _What does Sasuke know that I don't? Should I tell him about the note that smashed Naruto's window? Or that I'm going to Suna for the sole reason of speaking about Naruto with Temari? No. Not yet anyways._ Sakura focused on Sasuke's words, her disbelief growing with each one. 

"He probably hasn't eaten in a few days. Not to mention he doesn't have the kind of money to afford going out to a restaurant, especially one this nice. Why do you think he lives in such a shitty apartment? He doesn't have enough money for a real house, let alone pay for one of the hotel rooms that we've booked. That's why I'm sharing with him. Naruto has no money." Sasuke's tone was rough and Sakura guessed he had been thinking about this for a while, the Uchiha's voice was laced with not only thought but also…guilt? As if he could have done something about Naruto's monetary issue.

But the shear idea of Naruto, of all people, not eating in a few days, let alone one day was absolutely astonishing. Once again Sakura was struck by how little she actually knew Naruto. She only had the same preconceived notions that the rest of the rookie 9 had. The illusions and words her parents and all the other adults had said in whispers about the blonde boy. A chill ran up her spine and she coughed, holding down the bile at her own self-disgust. _It can't be true, I know Naruto. I do._

"How can you be so sure he hasn't eaten?" Her voice was filled with doubt, and though she flashed the waiter a quick smile as he set down her coffee and cake, her mind was solely focused on Sasuke's next few words.

"You forget I lived at Sound for years. I know the smell of hunger, not to mention his stomach was growling incessantly this morning when I picked him up at that dump of an apartment. And that story about him fighting off bandits? He wouldn't be pale from that. And if they were just thugs, there was no way a single one of them would have landed a punch of a ninja like Naruto. He might be a klutzy moron, but he is still a powerful fighter. And didn't it seem odd he claimed to have saved a girl, when we saw no one passing us to or from River? He probably fainted from hunger." Sasuke's voice was hushed by his hands that he had interlaced in front of his mouth.

His tone was severe though, filled with careful thought and disdain, but who was it aimed at? Certainly not Naruto. His black eyes were drifting out of focus, remembering all the little details that Naruto had thought he was hiding. The rumbles of his stomach, shortness of breath, paleness and the look of pure desire at the mention of going to eat, and the panic when he heard the amount the room was costing them. Even for Naruto it was strange.

Sakura felt a sickening sense of honesty rising in her throat, _oh Naruto, you idiot. Why wouldn't you tell us you were hungry? We didn't need to eat here. We could have gone anywhere else. _Her reached down and took a sip of her coffee, the bitter taste soothing her sense on insensitivity. "The mission is a cover-up." She said. Still looking into the cup of coffee in her hands, even though she heard Sasuke mutter a sharp "what?". Not taking her eyes off of the distorted reflection of herself she saw, she continued, "I'm going to Suna to see the Kazekage's sister. Temari."

"Why?"

"Because something happened…a few days ago and I want to know why." She set her cup down and looked at Sasuke telling him all of what had happened from the note she delivered to Naruto, to the brick and the hate note to what Tsunade had said to her. "It's starting to sound like Naruto's lying about…everything."

"Yes but why? The dobe has done nothing wrong; he's too damn stupid to have seriously caused harm." Sasuke blinked several times before standing up, offering a hand to Sakura. "Let's go talk to him." He threw some money onto the table and they quickly exited the restaurant.

**A **

As the pair ascended the stairs up to their rooms, both were silent. Nothing could be said between the two. Sasuke was not a talker and Sakura was focusing all her mind's effort on putting together the little pieces of the puzzle that just seemed to be popping out of the woodworking in her life. _Naruto, Naruto, Naruto…what is so different about you? What happened to you? _She tripped on the last step going up and managed to catch herself before falling. Though she didn't fall the feeling of her stomach dropping from the fall continued as she thought, _what if he is the demon child? _

She remember her parents tell her the stories to her a long time ago, about the nine-tailed fox that terrorized the world long before she had been born. As the story went, the Third Hokage, the greatest Ninja of his time supposedly sacrificed his own soul and that of a newly born baby to imprison the demon creature. But the child had somehow survived the bonding with the monster and became a normal child in the village hidden in the trees.

Sakura stopped in the hallway, her arm reaching blindly for the wall which she gripped tightly as the pieces seemed to fall faster and faster into place. Naruto didn't have parents. Naruto was hated by the civilians, the note in his apartment had called Naruto a monster. And even if he was an amazing ninja, she had seen him during the heat of battle…he had two types of Chakra which was unnatural. He had a ferocious side to his fighting; an animalistic power that came out whenever they had faced an enemy they should have lost against. Sakura gripped her heart, which was beating erratically. Her breathe became shallow and she was vaguely aware of Sasuke with his arm on her shoulder.

_Oh God. Naruto is the fox demon. He has to be, the time line is right, he had no family…no one loves him and he has such power. This is why he lives in a such a shitty place, the Council would never have let the Demon carrier live a life of luxury. This is why the Akatsuki were after him, why Tsunade and Jiraya were so adamant about him becoming stronger and learning Chakra control. Oh God. _

"Sakura? Sakura what's wrong?" Sasuke's voice pierced through her crowded mind and she jerked her head to look up at him, willing her heartbeat to slow down and to try to hide the emotion in her eyes from the Uchiha's sharp eyes. She pulled herself out of Sasuke's arms and walked down the hall to her room and turned her head over her shoulder and smiled at him, "I'm fine Sasuke, just not feeling so hot. I'm going to sleep it off okay? See you in the morning, don't forget to kiss Naruto goodnight and good morning." She winked and stuck out her tongue before going into her room.

Closing the door firmly behind her she slid down the door and placed her head in her hands and shook it violently trying to throw these thoughts from her mind. But they wouldn't leave her alone. "Oh God, oh God, oh God, Naruto you…Naruto." She hiccupped and stood up, going over to her bag, quickly pulling out her travelling clothing. She had made up her mind.

Changing her clothing quickly and throwing everything back into her bag she tied up her hair behind her bandana and sat down at the desk in the room, pulling out a piece of paper and pencil. She quickly jotted down the note before folding it in half and slipping it into her pocket.

Pulling her onto her back she stepped into the hall quietly, making her way down to the lobby she went to the front desk and told the man she had to leave immediately. "Was something wrong with you room miss?" The man asked even as he took the coins she handed him and put them into the safe box.

"No but I have urgent business to attend to." She handed him the note, "did you see my 0traveling companions? The black haired man and the blonde haired one?"

"Yes miss. Would you like me to give this note to them?"

"As soon as they come down, yes." She nodded and smiled when the man agreed. Turning to the door she left the hotel and emerged into the fresh night air, her breath becoming a cloud in the cold. She turned towards the road she was meant to travel along and began to run. Jumping up into a tree she pushed her chakra into her legs, making her jumps longer and faster.

She was getting answers. She was going to Suna.

**A**

Sasuke watched as Sakura left for her own room and shrugged his shoulders at her strange behavior, _women, _he thought with chagrin. Stepping into his own room he quickly let his guard down, the tension disappearing from his shoulders and brow, allowing him to breathe deeply and pull his formal shirt off and loosen the ties around his waist. The room was dark, and he could hear the gentle murmur of Naruto's sleeping form. Smiling in the moonlit dark at the blonde's ability to be so peaceful and childlike Sasuke went over to his bag and pulled out the silk shirt and boxers he chose to sleep in and walked back to the bathroom.

Normally he had no shame in sleeping in the nude he was, after all, alone in the massive Uchiha compound. But somehow he didn't think Naruto would like sleeping next to a naked man. And the last thing he needed was the blonde to be screaming and yelling as soon as he woke up. Sasuke was not a morning person. And that wasn't going to change anytime soon. So if sleeping in clothing was a way to allow him to sleep in for a few extra hours or even minutes, he would do it.

Going into the bathroom he changed and brushed his teeth before yawning to himself. Looking up he saw not his own reflection, but that of Itachi. It was truly…such a nice thing to see. He knew there had been a reason he hadn't heard the obnoxious voice in his mind almost all day.

"What do you want brother?" Sasuke's voice was tired, as was he, and this was not helping him feel any better.

"I merely wished to wish my little brother a goodnight…a night in the same bed as the sleeping object of your desires…this is so deliciously simple Otouto. You must indulge. For me?" Itachi smirked, and his voice held only a hint of amusement.

"Never." He said the negative, but his mind rushed over the positive. It'd be so easy to cuddle and kiss and share the warm of that body. Against his will, his cock hardened slightly at the temptation and his hand wandered down to stroke himself to life before catching himself. He bent over and placed both hands on the sink's edge, still looking up at his brother's form in the mirror. "Leave Itachi. I'm exhausted and I want to sleep."

"Very well," Itachi said with a sniff of indignity. "But little brother, I only wish for your happiness. I would like to move on, but I cannot as long as you're miserable. So please, get your head out of your ass and try being a real man." With a blink of his eyes the reflection was gone, replaced with his own.

Sasuke chuckled darkly, "you bastard Itachi." But he knew it was all a moot point by now so he decided not to think about it until tomorrow. And since tomorrow was like a full day of travel to Suna he would be alone with his thoughts and feelings.

Turning off the lights in the bathroom he went to the closest side of the bed, surprised to find it still smooth, _apparently Naruto has become considerate enough to only sleep on his half. How unlike him. _Sasuke slid into the bed, rolling onto his side facing the window. And then it hit him, he could see straight across the bed. Without any lumps or bumps.

"Naruto?" He whispered. While he got no verbal reply, he knew the blonde was here; he could hear his steady breathing and sense his chakra. Sasuke pulled back the sheets and blankets and put his bare feet on the floor, walking in the near darkness to the other side of the room, looking on the seat under the window to see if the blonde sat there, but he wasn't. _Maybe he's under the bed…well then let him sleep there. _

Sasuke yawned and walked towards the bed, since he had to it to himself apparently might as well get the whole thing messy. But as he took another step towards the bed his foot connected with something. Something living. Something living that made a whimper of pain when Sasuke's foot connected with its ribs. "Shit." Sasuke muttered and bent down to examine Naruto's body.

The blonde was huddled on the floor, his small tanned body laying on a thin blanket and his own jacket as a pillow, the cold of the air making him shiver. Sasuke huffed and put his hand under the blonde's knees and back, lifting him up bridal style. Once he had the sleeping boy hoisted up against his chest, he was amazed by how small the blonde was compared to him. And not just in the thin sense, but he really was big compared to the blonde. He had filled out muscle wise and grown almost an entire head. Naruto probably came up to Sasuke's collar bone, but he weighted so little and his muscles were so lean.

_Where do you get the energy to be so damned perky all the time? _Sasuke thought with wonder. Going over to the bed he placed Naruto on top of the covers before going over to his own side and sliding in. he pulled the covers back and covered the small blonde teen and shifted until he himself was comfortably settled.

He turned over to look at Naruto's back as the blonde mumbled and dug himself into the blankets and smiled when the blonde not so softly flipped over so he was facing Sasuke. Sasuke's mouth stretched into a smile and he let his hand go and pet the silken blonde hairs in front of Naruto's eyes. The blonde snuggled into the hand, mewling when Sasuke cupped his cheek. Sasuke let out a chuckle as Naruto followed his hand moving closer and closer to Sasuke until they were inches apart, Naruto's colder frame near Sasuke's warm one.

Sasuke withdrew his hand and looked down at Naruto's pink lips, thinking how easy it would be to kiss the man. He licked his lips and felt the desire rush through him. But he withheld, _I'd be practically taking advantage of him in his sleep. _He merely contented himself with looking at the blonde.

"…mmm...s'uke." Sasuke looked down to see Naruto shifting tiredly and was met with sleep blue eyes.

"Dobe." He murmured, not knowing what else to say.

"You didn't have to move me. The floor was fine." Naruto said with a little yawn.

"Don't be stupid, we can share a bed, you were shivering and I don't need you freezing before we reach Suna." Sasuke said it low, his breath tickling Naruto's ear causing the blonde to tilt his head and moan delicately.

"Thanks Sasuke…still cold though, and hungry…but mostly cold." Naruto had twisted his head till it was buried in the pillows and his whole body was faced down.

Sasuke scoffed softly, "idiot." He reached his hand over under the covers and gently grasped Naruto around his hips and pulled the blonde man towards and twisted him so that they were chest to chest, Naruto's head buried in the crook of Sasuke's arm, with their legs tangled and Sasuke's arms cradling Naruto.

"Sasuke…?" Naruto's voice was hushed and he shifted his face to look up at the Uchiha's face, still only inches away, "why did you…?"

"You were cold. I'm not. Share my damn warmth and be grateful." Sasuke's tone was gruff and his words were harsh but he spoke softly and his eyes weren't hard or cold. His words cause Naruto to giggle and he adjusted himself so he was even closer to Sasuke before he shut his eyes again. Soon his breathing was even and he was fast asleep in Sasuke's arms.

Sasuke looked down and gently kissed the blonde's temple saying, "goodnight dobe."

**AAAA**

Naruto woke up hungry. And warm. The first one wasn't a surprise; he was always hungry these days. Without money, without a garden, without close friends who he could mooch off of, there was no way he could feed himself. Chakra could only support a body for so long, and even with Kyuubi's infinite supply of the energy, hunger would eventually leave him weak and lifeless. So he wasn't surprised at the gnawing pain that awoke him along with the light streaming through the thin cotton sheet that he was under.

But it was, however, the warmth that surprised him. Coldness had become his only lover, and so had the hardness of sleeping on floors, even his mattress, one of the few things he hadn't sold off to support himself, was hard as a rock and cold as death. So when he had become conscious with hunger pains, he kept his eyes closed, though the light streamed through his lids, hoping to enjoy this unrealistic warmth he knew was only a figment of his vivid imagination.

Because underneath the layer of warmth he could feel the coldness that never left his blood these days. The years hadn't been kind to him and warmth, he had discovered, only stayed with those who had kindness all around them. Loneliness was what kept him cold, sickeningly so. He used to sit on his roof and watch the people pass through the streets, together, always together. He had been able to see more, learn more, and hear more as the lonely, hated outcast teen than he had ever been able to as a ninja.

True he had seen horrors beyond horrors during the War. When he had gone through hell and back to drag Sasuke home, to destroy all those twisted monsters that had wanted to use him and Gaara for power. But nothing was quite as terrifying as watching a woman wonder the streets looking for warmth and crying silently between customers. Or seeing a child limp down the alleyways after being beaten, holding the sobs in until they found a place where their dreams could warm them from the harsh elements.

And that was why warmth had become so important to him. Fleeting as it was, it made things a little less painful. He didn't want to become one of them. He couldn't live an eternity with that. That would be too much. For as sad as it was to watch the women, or the children suffer, he knew that they would suffer only in decades. He would suffer in centuries. An eon, nothing less than an eternity, of coldness. And if stealing seconds of warmth was what would keep him sane, then he would do it.

Shifting slightly to absorb more of the warm he felt something against his calf, something warm and smooth. Rubbing his leg against the warm thing he heard a soft groan and his eyes snapped open. Instantly the light invaded his senses and he blinked several times to try and stop the pain in his retinas.

Slowly this time he re-opened his eyes to look across at the source of the noise, and nearly yelled with surprise. Because there, not but a few inches away from his face, was Sasuke's own face, eyes closed and face peaceful in sleep. But with the sunlight streaming into the room and through the thin sheet that hung over their heads like their own private canopy, Naruto couldn't help but think _he's so damn handsome._ Then his mind came back to him and he began to wonder how exactly this had happened.

He remembered going to sleep on the floor, the pain of fainting from a Chakra overload, and being woken by Sasuke. Vaguely he recalled being moved to the bed and Sasuke being...kind to him. At the time it had seemed like a wonderful impossible dream. But now...it had been real. Almost impossible to believe really, but here he was and there Sasuke was, his black hair falling sweetly to frame the gently sharp curves of his aristocratic face.

The pale pink lips looks so sweet and perfect, self-consciously Naruto licked his own and let his gaze fall down to the body of the Uchiha, covered only by a tight black tee shirt and a pair of boxers. The long pale legs were tangled in Naruto's smaller, tanner ones and the felt the Uchiha's arm around his middle, their bodies pressing against each others, and the blessed warmth of Sasuke making Naruto feel wonderfully happy.

_So this is what the real warmth feels like? I could enjoy this. _Naruto let himself snuggle closer to the sleeping Uchiha, careful not to wake the man, and smiled at the tickle of Sasuke's warm breath on his ear. _I wonder if this would be…every morning with him? _Naruto glanced up through his lashes at his crush.

_God that would be so wonderful._ Snuggling as close as he could to the Uchiha, he felt his heartbeat quicken when Sasuke shifted, positive the other was about to wake up and break his fragile illusion of warmth. But to his surprise Sasuke merely shifted, murmured and pulled Naruto closer.

The blonde sighed in relief and let his eyes close, not in sleep but in relaxation. _Forever I could live like this. Forever and ever and ever, all I ever need. Sasuke. _Those long fingers seemed to trace patterns on his back, making Naruto shiver in pleasure; _even in sleep the bastard is sexy. _

Soon though he began to grow restless and the pains in his stomach were twisting even more than normal. So as quietly as he could he pulled himself away from Sasuke, disentangling their limbs until he could slowly get out of the bed without waking the other ninja. He remembered the days long ago when he had woken Sasuke up early in their tents during their Genin years. The Uchiha had been so pissed with him, the memories bringing back a nostalgic yet painful smile to his face.

Quietly going into the bathroom he closed the door with a soft click, turned on the lights, and went over to the small window and opened it. Immediately the cold air flew in and assaulted his skin, making him shiver with hateful remembrance of the cold. He quickly turned on the hot water of the shower and stripped himself of his clothing. Relieving his bladder quickly, he climbed into the shower and moaned with pure pleasure as the hot water once again washed over his aching body.

Closing and opening his eyes he reached over and took the small provided bar of soap and began to clean his body and face, loving the delicate scent of sugar and honey that wafted into his nose from the small bar. He caught a look at himself in the mirror over the sink from behind the glass door of the shower and gave a short sigh of longing.

Years ago he had been in peak condition, always shorter than he had wanted to be, that much was true, but physically fit in the best way, all hard muscles and litheness. Now, while he was still fit and in shape, there was none of the healthy glow or weight that should be there, his ribs were lightly visible, and his six-pack had become taut without the healthy excess of muscle and fat. His muscles had been eaten by his body for protein; unable to find the sustenance anywhere else. Years ago he hadn't ever even consider thinking of hot water as a luxury. It had been so normal, so…always there.

Granted he had only lived in the luxury of a real house for those few short months when the council had seemed genuinely happy. But his small apartment of his early teen years had possessed hot water, a proper mattress and heating with AC. He used to think that back in those days his little apartment had been awful. He'd give anything to have it back now. Anything to have the mindset he had had when he had been thirteen.

But now, hot water was his luxury, and fresh food had become his dreams. He had fallen so far, _it truly isn't your fault kit, the council is old and set in their ways. And the humans that live in your village are controlled by fear and hurt_. Kyuubi's words pulled Naruto's eyes away from his less than stellar appearance and back into the present.

He reached for the mini shampoo bottles, and began to gently lather his hair, "I know...and it's not all bad. The little things matter now. And that is...kind of cool. Even if I do miss eating." Naruto chuckled wryly at his sad little state but soon again lost himself in the sweet luxurious joy of the shower.

But soon it came to an end, knowing he couldn't stay in here forever, Naruto slowly turned the water off and stepped out of the shower. Pulling one of the fluffy towels off the rack he began to quickly dry himself off before the cold of the air froze him solid. The open window had kept the room from getting steamy, so the mirror was still relatively clear. After a moment of searching Naruto found one of the terrycloth robes inside one of the cabinets and pulled it on. Tying the waist belt into a secure knot, he gave a satisfied hum of appreciation for the beauty of a hot shower.

Laying the slightly damp towel on his head he went over to the door and quietly pulled it open, walking out with his head down he bumped into something before he even made it past the threshold. Looking up slightly he saw Sasuke standing there, hand on the top corner of the doorframe and face still relaxed from sleep, the raven's eyes half-lidded and calm.

"Dobe." Sasuke said with sleep laced in his tone. "Where'd you go? I got cold." The question, Naruto knew, was supposed to be a joke, though with the Uchiha tint, it came out more as an accusation.

"I was showering teme, you know, that thing we civilized people do?" He smiled with the insulting pet name, unable to say anything else, even though he knew he should.

"Next time tell me, we can share." Sasuke's tone was low and sultry, his eyes alive with teasing hunger. And _oh, _could Naruto get lost in that gaze…the pale skin taunt over muscles of a man who knew pain, who knew pleasure. The black orbs of someone capable of the most delicious and decadent sin, he could imagine Sasuke and a bed and the hours the taller man could teach him about…

Naruto burst out laughing. He couldn't help it. Sasuke had looked so...perfect; if he hadn't laughed he would have cried. Because deep down he knew Sasuke was just teasing and being his typical rude self, but Naruto wanted what Sasuke had offered so badly, and that wouldn't have gone over well. Sasuke would be able to kill Naruto right now, and the blonde didn't relish the thought.

He ignored the look in Sasuke's eyes and pushed himself past the pale muscled arm into the room and over to his small bag, calling over his shoulder, "Careful teme, people might think you actually like me. Wouldn't want that now would we?" Tone cheerful, because somewhere inside him, he knew it was just another 'Naruto' joke. Naruto had reached a point where he was able to lie even to himself about these things. The coldness sank back into his bones with each second the smile sat on his face.

Going through his bag took only a moment; the poor lump of cloth had been through too many missions and too many years, but there was no way he could replace it, that was how desperate he had become. When his knapsack looked good enough to eat; and he actually thought about doing it. When he stood again, his only other fresh set of clothing in his hands; he turned around only to find Sasuke once again standing directly in front of him.

Glaring up at the stubborn and silent Uchiha, Naruto tried to get around but was blocked when the taller man stepped into his path, and then again, and again, and again until Naruto huffed. Kyuubi's voice making his brows hunch down in anger, _and people say you're the stubborn one Kit, the Uchiha is quite…persistent. How funny. Careful now, he might actually think you like him if you don't say something…oh wait, you __**do **__like him. I love being a teenager again. _

"Can I help you bastard?" Naruto sneered up at Sasuke, hoping that Kyuubi would leave him alone; he didn't have room in his head for any more stress. But when Sasuke stood silent Naruto felt his lips curl in distinct displeasure; the feelings of annoyance at being detained from going to visit Gaara and from the inn's complimentary breakfast that he intended to take complete advantage of began to eat away at his temper.

"Did you not...enjoy last night?" Sasuke's words were spoken as if carefully chosen, as if they could possibly offend Naruto. And he was right. Kyuubi gave a roar of laughter and Naruto felt his face flush with color and his patience at the Uchiha shatter like a glass against a wall.

"WHAT?" Naruto shouted. "What do you mean, '_enjoy last night'_?" He hissed, dropping his clothing onto the ground and grabbed the front of Sasuke's sleep shirt, feeling the warm fabric under his fingers and gripped it tightly, _what happened last night? What did I do? What did he do? _

Sasuke smirked down at the blonde, whose tanned cheeks were slightly pink with a light blush, and whose eyes sparkled with anger. "Calm down Dobe, I was just joking." _Oh damn, and here I was hoping you had actually gotten some…sorry Kit. _The sarcasm in the demon's voice did nothing to please Naruto, but he comforted himself with the knowledge that nothing had happened.

Naruto released Sasuke's shirt with an angry huff, "you bastard, I was afraid you had actually raped me. Douche. Should be lucky I don't chop your dick off."

"It's not rape if you enjoy it dobe." Sasuke's tone was so damn pretentious that Naruto didn't care that he was starving and smaller, he tackled the bigger man so that they both fell down onto the floor, Sasuke taking the blunt force of the fall.

They rolled over, wrestling childishly, yelling insults at each other and continued to fight. After Naruto landed a few good hits however, Sasuke was able to flip them over and pin Naruto down, his pales hands holding Naruto's wrists to the floor, the small tanned body writhing, trying to escape before finally giving in.

They were inches apart, not a single breath between their bodies. Sasuke's legs tangled with Naruto's, chests mere inches apart and faces close, so close that Sasuke could see each individual scar marks on Naruto's face. And slowly they seemed to get bigger and bigger, as Sasuke leaned closer and closer.

Naruto's writhing stilled as he felt Sasuke press closer to him, his own blue eyes looking up and connecting with Sasuke's black ones. Slowly the bigger man seemed to close the distance between them until Naruto couldn't be patient anymore. He raised his body and pressed his lips against Sasuke's, moaning into the hard lip-lock.

And what a lip lock it was, as the pair's lips meshed together Naruto felt himself being pushed hard against the floor and his legs being split to accommodate Sasuke's body. The blackette released his hold on Naruto's wrists only to grip the smaller man's waist and his neck, twisting the lips on his to get a deeper angle. And was rewarded by a groan and a grinding against his aching groin.

The blonde ninja for his part couldn't seem to get past the state of shock he was in. he had kissed Sasuke. And Sasuke had _kissed back. _Never in his life would he have imagined that happening. It was…incredible. Sasuke was a great kisser, and the feeling of those hands on his body burned in just the right way, straight through his body down to his aching erection. Which was rubbing against another erection.

And by the feel of it, Sasuke was…big. Like big. The thought made Naruto groan with a mixture of chagrin and pleasure. Soon his hands were tangled in the black mess of hair and they had somehow managed to become even more entangled. But no matter how passionate the embraced seemed, the kiss had stayed, almost…chaste. Never a bit of tongue and no one's hands wondering to anywhere inappropriate. Well…not too inappropriate.

And for just a few seconds Naruto felt wonderfully warm. Then, Sasuke pulled back and Naruto felt himself lower to rest his head on the floor, huffing and puffing, blue eyes searching Sasuke's for a sign of…anything.

He had somehow let his robe slip down to exposed his chest, the sleeves hanging on his elbows and the sides held together by the sash, but in reality, it held very little to the imagination. His entire torso was revealed and a good part of his legs, thankfully the terrycloth seemed to have bunched over his groin so his erection, now slowly dying, was hidden.

Sasuke's eyes met Naruto's, and suddenly Naruto realized he didn't even want to know what had just happened between the two of them. Sasuke's eyes were cold and dead. Nothing to even hint that he had been thinking of Naruto. _Oh God. _

_That's it isn't it? He wasn't thinking of me. He was thinking of a girl wasn't he? He was. I can tell. Shit. Shit. Damn it I can't believe I just did this. _Naruto felt the thoughts pull the warmth from his skin and back into his heart. And within a second the coldness of the room seeped so far into him that not even the thought of breakfast could heal it.

"Naruto…" The voice was slow and it rolled over his voice in such a way t o make the blond almost, almost, almost forgive Sasuke for using him as a replacement. But he didn't; so with a burst of energy he didn't know he had left he flipped them over, jumped off Sasuke, took his pile of clothing, and run into the bathroom locking the door behind him.

Leaning against the back of the door he heard the other boy get up and come towards him. He held his breath, knowing Sasuke could easily break down the door, or even just open it with a burst of Chakra. He heard the footsteps stop; he heard the arm lean against the door and the soft thump of Sasuke's forehead on the wood. "Naruto…hurry and change, I'll meet you downstairs for breakfast in twenty minutes."

Naruto almost cried with relief. He had no idea what had happened. He had no idea what he had been thinking. He had no idea what Sasuke had been thinking. But he knew that they hadn't been thinking the same thing. Because the only thoughts he could remember were, _want you, need you, love you, please, please, Sasuke, love me, give, give, more, love me please Sasuke. _

**AA**

**I feel steamy. And a little bit sticky.**

**xoxo**


	4. Important Notice

**ATTENTION TO ALL MY READERS**

**I have recently made several changes to this story. **

**I recommend going back to the beginning and rereading it, I promise you'll see the changes.**

**And new chapters will up by new's years as my holiday gift to all of you. **

**Xoxo**

**With all my love**

**Imperial13**


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